THE ABOMINATION CRISIS
Twenty years a go a pandemic swept it's way across earth's one and at the time only waypoint station in the galaxy. Known as 'Reach' it was a beacon of life and scientific discovery built by a coalition of the worlds brightest minds. Housing over Two thousands people the station became the midway point between earth and earth's first outer earth colonies. As well as holding everything that two thousand people need to survive the station held the most advanced science facilities ever constructed. It's purpose was to study the universe and to look for signs of alien life. Years of research culminated in the discovery of the first life outside of our planet. On the moon of Enceladus, Saturn' s sixth moon Scientists found the frozen remains of a species of insect. Careful study showed it to be a type of Beetle with the ability to survive in the harshest conditions, a shell with the strength of carbon fibre and blood laced with an organic anti-freeze. Out of all the findings the most astonishing was the insects ability to repair itself. It's DNA was able to continually repair itself giving the Beetle an unmeasurable life span. The scope for the regenerative DNA was endless. Earth's council gave the go ahead to start testing by mixing human DNA with the Beetles. The first results were promising with a selection of the tests showing almost flawless regenerative growth.
With the good came the bad. Three tests showed accelerated growth beyond the scientists predictions. The DNA had mutated to a point where it was unrecognizable as human, overlaying and duplicating itself into a twisted mass. Earth council was impressed with the positive results but ruled that the risks of uncontrolled mutation was to high and ruled against human testing. The ruling started an internal fight between the stations scientists, the council and the stations chief of staff Professor Edward Cooper. Edwards was shocked by the councils ruling and petitioned many times to have the ruling changed. Weeks of intense debate with the Council began. Despite this nothing was going to change the councils mind. Unable to accept the ruling Cooper decided to take matters into his own hands and inject the DNA into himself. Cutting his hand he injected the DNA into the injury and then waited. Within 24 hours the deep laceration was gone showing no scaring or discoloration. Calling a meeting with the stations scientists and council he proudly showed his finding. Edwards disregard for the council and the safety of the station shocked everyone in the meeting with calls for Edwards to be apprehended ringing around the room. The council did just that, striping him of command and confining him to quarters for the week it would take a shuttle to arrive and transport the professor back to earth.
Confident that his actions were the correct ones, Edwards went peacefully to his confinement confident in the fact that he would be found not guilty by the councils tribunal. The station scientists kept a close eye on the professor to make sure he made no attempt to escape. After a few days scientists noticed a change in edward's behaviour and what looked like a serious growth on the hand he had tested on. Realising that the DNA had begun to corrupt edward's they rushed to his quarters to sedate and confine him further. On arrival Professor Cooper had become manic and violent. He attacked the three scientists sent to help him, killing all three. The entire level was evacuated as the station security cut the area off from everyone on board. This proved a fruitless move, attacks begun to spring up all over Reach as Edwards and the now infected three he killed found ways to move around the station and pick off the inhabitance one by one. Using the stations miles of utility and maintenance tunnels to move around. Within six days half the station had been declared as uninhabitable and the remaining inhabitance ordered to abandon the station and return to earth. All ships leaving the station were checked for any and all signs of this now called virus. Thankfully they were all clean. All remaining traffic was diverted back to earth or there nearest colony and a no fly zone was erected around the station. No craft or person of any kind was aloud within five miles of Reach. The council had a serious shake up of scientific regulations and policy to make sure nothing like this ever happened again. The Council named the event The Abomination Crisis and classified all intel and information connected to the event.
Now twenty years on, Reach is still an infested one trillion ton hulk floating in space, but now after years of no one being allowed near the station Earth Council have decided to get rid of it once and for all. None of it is salvageable, blowing it apart would risk possible infected debris falling to earth or other colonies. Earth Councils plan is to guide the station into our nearest star completely eradicating the virus. Three titan class tugs have been tasked with the job of moving Reach into the sun. One team of scientists and soldiers have been allowed on to Reach to collect as much information as possible about the Abominations currant state and assist in the movement of the station to it's final resting place.
Here is a part of there findings.
Twenty years a go a pandemic swept it's way across earth's one and at the time only waypoint station in the galaxy. Known as 'Reach' it was a beacon of life and scientific discovery built by a coalition of the worlds brightest minds. Housing over Two thousands people the station became the midway point between earth and earth's first outer earth colonies. As well as holding everything that two thousand people need to survive the station held the most advanced science facilities ever constructed. It's purpose was to study the universe and to look for signs of alien life. Years of research culminated in the discovery of the first life outside of our planet. On the moon of Enceladus, Saturn' s sixth moon Scientists found the frozen remains of a species of insect. Careful study showed it to be a type of Beetle with the ability to survive in the harshest conditions, a shell with the strength of carbon fibre and blood laced with an organic anti-freeze. Out of all the findings the most astonishing was the insects ability to repair itself. It's DNA was able to continually repair itself giving the Beetle an unmeasurable life span. The scope for the regenerative DNA was endless. Earth's council gave the go ahead to start testing by mixing human DNA with the Beetles. The first results were promising with a selection of the tests showing almost flawless regenerative growth.
With the good came the bad. Three tests showed accelerated growth beyond the scientists predictions. The DNA had mutated to a point where it was unrecognizable as human, overlaying and duplicating itself into a twisted mass. Earth council was impressed with the positive results but ruled that the risks of uncontrolled mutation was to high and ruled against human testing. The ruling started an internal fight between the stations scientists, the council and the stations chief of staff Professor Edward Cooper. Edwards was shocked by the councils ruling and petitioned many times to have the ruling changed. Weeks of intense debate with the Council began. Despite this nothing was going to change the councils mind. Unable to accept the ruling Cooper decided to take matters into his own hands and inject the DNA into himself. Cutting his hand he injected the DNA into the injury and then waited. Within 24 hours the deep laceration was gone showing no scaring or discoloration. Calling a meeting with the stations scientists and council he proudly showed his finding. Edwards disregard for the council and the safety of the station shocked everyone in the meeting with calls for Edwards to be apprehended ringing around the room. The council did just that, striping him of command and confining him to quarters for the week it would take a shuttle to arrive and transport the professor back to earth.
Confident that his actions were the correct ones, Edwards went peacefully to his confinement confident in the fact that he would be found not guilty by the councils tribunal. The station scientists kept a close eye on the professor to make sure he made no attempt to escape. After a few days scientists noticed a change in edward's behaviour and what looked like a serious growth on the hand he had tested on. Realising that the DNA had begun to corrupt edward's they rushed to his quarters to sedate and confine him further. On arrival Professor Cooper had become manic and violent. He attacked the three scientists sent to help him, killing all three. The entire level was evacuated as the station security cut the area off from everyone on board. This proved a fruitless move, attacks begun to spring up all over Reach as Edwards and the now infected three he killed found ways to move around the station and pick off the inhabitance one by one. Using the stations miles of utility and maintenance tunnels to move around. Within six days half the station had been declared as uninhabitable and the remaining inhabitance ordered to abandon the station and return to earth. All ships leaving the station were checked for any and all signs of this now called virus. Thankfully they were all clean. All remaining traffic was diverted back to earth or there nearest colony and a no fly zone was erected around the station. No craft or person of any kind was aloud within five miles of Reach. The council had a serious shake up of scientific regulations and policy to make sure nothing like this ever happened again. The Council named the event The Abomination Crisis and classified all intel and information connected to the event.
Now twenty years on, Reach is still an infested one trillion ton hulk floating in space, but now after years of no one being allowed near the station Earth Council have decided to get rid of it once and for all. None of it is salvageable, blowing it apart would risk possible infected debris falling to earth or other colonies. Earth Councils plan is to guide the station into our nearest star completely eradicating the virus. Three titan class tugs have been tasked with the job of moving Reach into the sun. One team of scientists and soldiers have been allowed on to Reach to collect as much information as possible about the Abominations currant state and assist in the movement of the station to it's final resting place.
Here is a part of there findings.
ENCELADUS ICE BEETLE - Specimen E0003
The Enceladus Ice Beetle was earth first look at alien life. A six inch long, six legged insect with an incredible DNA structure. Only a handful of the beetles where discovered on Enceladus, judging by the condition of the frozen remains they had been dead for over 3'000 years. Research has shown that they had superb eyesight with there eyes mounted on storks extending from there heads. Feelers also mounted on the head where used to asses there surroundings as they moved along. There powerful hind legs give them great pace and jumping ability meaning they could get away from there predators with ease. The lack of any fangs or mandibles lead the scientists to conclude that the beetles where leaf eaters feeding on algae that grew within the ice that they lived in. The DNA structure of the beetles was the most incredible find. The regenerative properties of there DNA was a pandoras box of possibilities for the scientists. A pandoras box which lead them down an unthinkable path.
HIVE
Abomination Virus and are comprised of a single human host. The chest cavity is used to incubate the parasites that deliver the virus. The rest of the organs are adapted to feed and maintain the virus. They have a constantly recycling DNA structure which keeps them in a constant condition to care for the virus they carry. Hive's are extremely defensive, thinking only about the parasites they harbour. Getting to close will cause it to lash out with a series of barbed tentacles residing in its head as well as attacking with the limbs it has left. Due to there recycling DNA fire is the only thing that will kill them completely, dismemberment will only enrage a hive further.
SACKBOYS
These slow creatures are little more than walking land mines. Comprised of one human host there internal organs are full of two extremely volatile liquids, harmless to humans on there own but when mixed become explosive. They will never chase there pray, instead they sit and wait, if anyone gets to close they will internally mix there liquids and self destruct. Hitting theres things with a few rounds from a safe distance of at least 12ft will cause them to prematurely explode.
SPLITTERS
Splitters are one of the most dangerous of the known Abomination creatures. Formed from one human host, deformed and extremely aggressive Splitters will attack and infect anything that comes into there sights. Elongated arms with razor sharp talons are it's main weapons along with a bite used to administer there virus. They are fast and very agile. There accelerated condition is caused by a form of the Abomination which reacts at twice the rate, turning them into even more effective hunters. However this acceleration also breaks down there DNA at a extreme rate giving them a lift span less than half of the other known creatures. there speed makes them difficult to hit but if you can get a clear shot at one dismemberment and or fire will quickly kill one off.
STALKS
Standing around 6ft in hight Stalks are fast hunters mostly seen in open areas where they can use there pace to an advantage. Comprised of only half a human host they walk on there hands which have elongated fingers for greater grip and stability. There fingers are also extremely strong, anything caught by one is crushed in its grip before being fed upon or infected. A Stalks pace is key to its survival, Stalks have lowered sight and smell for reasons which are not yet clear making them one of the easiest to take down. Removal of there arms will render them defenceless. Trapping one in an enclosed environment also prevents them from using there pace and long arms to there full.
STRIDER
Possibly the most twisted of the Abomination, Striders are 8ft quadrupeds formed from at least two human hosts. Normally only seen in packs or three they are the protecters of Hives and as such do not stray far from the hive they are watching over. Little of the internals of the hosts is kept, instead the virus strengthens and enhances the muscular structure of the hosts making them incredibly strong and difficult to kill. Once it gathers momentum Striders can rival the pace of a Splitter with ease. Anything caught trying to attack there Hive will be chased down and simply beaten to death. Brute force is there one and only weapon. They are bodyguards and nothing more, they have no way of infecting there pray. Only heavy weaponry will take them down. Like the Stalk removal of its legs will bring it to a stop, shots to its head will disorientate it for a short time.
CONCEPTS
